Steam scoring machine for ice



April 1, 1930. E. s. HENRY STEAM SCORING MACHINE FOR ICE Original FiledAug. 20, 1928 J0 J1 .59 6o 60 FIG.- 4.

Reissuecl Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES EARL S. HENRY, OF MEDFORD, OKLAHOMASTEAM SCORING IIIACHINE FOB ICE Original No. 1,737,308 dated November26, 1929, Sari reissue filed January 13, 1930.

My invention relates to devices for scoring or marking blocks of ice.

The objects of my invention are to provide an apparatus of thischaracter which is new, 5 novel, efficient, useful, comparativelyinexpensive to construct and operate and which is of utility; to providean improved device which utilizes the heat of steam in scoring; toprovide an improved machine which elimi- 10 nates all motors, gears,drive chains, shafts,

saws and the like; to provide an improved machine which takes the blocksof ice on edge, completes the scoring in one operation and delivers theblock on edge, there being no necessity of turning the block on end, toprovide an improved device which requires but one trip of the said blockthrough the machine to effect the scoring; both the lengthwise andcrosswise scoring being accom plished at the same time; other andfurther objects being made manifest hereinafter as the description ofthe invention progresses.

Most scoring machines in use prior to my invention employ sets of gangsaws, one set for lengthwise and another set for crosswise scoring. Thesets of saws do not operate simultaneously. After the block of icepasses one of said sets of saws it must be turned before passing thesecond set. This requires a machine with a long supporting frame, thesets of saws being in oppositeends thereof, a turning space therebetweenand complicated mechanical accessories to accomplish the scoring, and inaddition a motor or other driving means. In my invention the machine isapproximately one third as large, the saws are replaced by tubulargridirons containing live steam, the said gridirons being forced intothe block of ice by weights actuated by gravity or other meanssupplementing the control of the operator whereby semi-automaticfunctioning of the machine results and the majohine may be readily andsafely used by an inexperienced operator, the machine requiring no motoror other similar driving means.

My invention consists in the novel constructiOn and arrangement of partshereinafter described, portrayed in the accompanying one-sheet drawing,and particularly pointed out in that portion of this instrument whereinal No. 300,780, filed August 20, 1928. Application for Serial No.420,813.

patentable novelty is claimed for certain distinctive and peculiarfeatures of the device, it being understood that the said drawings areillustrative and not restrictive, and that within the scope of whathereinafter is thus claimed, various changes in the form, size,proportions and minor details of the structure may be made, withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the machine;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view with the ejecting mechanism omitted;

Figure 3 is a side view of the tubular gridiron, with a dotted outlineof a block of ice thereon, and

Figure 4: is a fragmentary perspective view showing the method ofjoining the gridiron tubes.

One embodiment of my invention is shown as follows:

In the drawings 1 represents a block of ice placed on edge, upwardincline 2 assists in placing said block 1 upon supporting base 3 saidbase being as long as block 1 but not so wide as said block 1. Downwardincline 4 assists in discharging the block from the machine after thescoring is completed. The main side supporting frames 5, preferably madeof angle irons, are rectangular in shape, their greater dimensions beingupstanding, said frames 5 are connected in proper spaced relationship byupper cross rods 6 and lower cross rods 7.

Stop and ejector hand lever 8 is pivoted at 10 to supporting base 3, androd 9 is pivoted to hand lever 8 at 11. Rod 9 is placed alongside base 3and under block 1, said rod 9 operates to position abell crank stop 12at the front of said block 1 when hand lever 8 is in the positionindicated in solid outline. Bell crank 12 is pivoted to base 3 at 13 andto rod 9 at 14:. I provide an ejector plate 15 at the rear of block 1,having lever arm 16 pivoted to base 3 at 17, an ejector collar 18rigidly attached to rod 9 operates to lift said plate 15 and block 1when handlever 8 is in the position indicated by the passage thereoverof another block of ice.

,ing material.

fold 27 and exhausts at 35.

Rectangular gridiron frames 20, preferably made of angle irons, havingtheir greater dimensions horizontal, are placed within said main sideframes 5 on both sides of block 1, are slidably mounted on upper crossrods 6 by sleeve guides and supports 22 and on lower cross rods 7 bysimilar sleeve guides and supports 23. Mounted on said rods 6 and 7 arestationary sleeve'stops 24 and 25 for respectively limiting the inwardmove ment of sleeves 22 and 23. As can best be seen in Fig. 3the'scoring gridiron21 formed from flattened tubes is shown detachedfrom its supporting frame 20. The gridiron 21 consists of steam intakemanifold pipe 26 and exhaust pipe 27, the said pipes 26 and 27' arehorizontally connected by tube 28 and vertically connected by tubes 29,30, 31, 32 and 33, which vertical tubes also communicate with tube 28through approximately half lapped brazed joints 28 and 29 the details ofwhich are shown in Fig. 4.

The said flattened scoring tubes are preferably made of brass, copper orlike non-rust- The gridiron here illustrated would be adapted forscoring a 300 pound block of ice into 12 pieces of 25 pounds each but itis to be understood that my invention is not limited to this size blockor number of pieces. Since blocks of ice are made tapering in order toremove them from the cans in which they are frozen, I provide for this,as can be seen in Fig. 1, by spacing the vertical scoring tubes fartherapart at'the small end of the block in order that each piece will weighthe same, in this case 25 pounds. Live steam is admitted to gridiron 21at 34, is.

forced through manifold 26' and the tubes connecting therewith, iscollected in mani- In order to provide for expansion and contraction insaid gridiron 21 spring clip 36 on tube 28 and spring clips 37 at theupper and lower ends of the vertical tubes are placed on the anchoringmeans by which the said gridiron is attached to frame 20. In order thatthe block of ice may be centered in the machine I provide guide andspacer blocks 39 attached to frame 5 by bolts 40. Two pressure bars 51on each side of the machine are secured to frames 20 by fastenings 42.Gravityweights 43 for pressing gridirons 21 into block 1 are articulatedtopressure shafts 44 by weight levers 45 set-screwed thereto, long link46 pivotally uniting said levers 45. Pressure levers 47 andshortpressure links 48 attached to pressure bars 41 adjacent the upper andlower quarter points of said bars 41 apply the pressure of said weights43 to gridiron frames 20 and gridirons 21 and force the gridiron tubesevenly into the block 1 from both sides to a uniform, predetermineddepth. This depth can be regulated by the lengths of sleeve guides andsapports 22 and 23 and sleeve stops 24 and 25 on cross rods 6 and 7.

The depth of scores made by horizontal tubes 28 will be a little lessthan the scores made by the vertical tubes as the junctions of saidtubes are less than half laps and said tubes28 are on the side away fromthe block of ice. The pressure shafts 44 are connected to main frame 5by bearings 49. Weight releasing and steam valve operating hand lever 50is latched by 51 to said frame 5 and keyed to shaft 52, said s raft 52having bearings 54 bolted to frame 5. Levers 53 se screwed to shaft 52are operatively connected by flexible cables 55 to weight link 46.Cables 55 are used to make it impossible for any ignorant or carelessoperator to break or injure the gridirontubes by attempting to forcesaid tubes into the block of ice as would be the case if hand lever 50were rigidly connected to the gridiron articulations. Steam valve lever56 is also attached to shaft 52 and through link 57 and stem 58 operatesto open steam plug cock 59 and admit live steam from pipe 60 togridirons 21 as soon as hand lever 50 is unlatched for releasing weights43. team pipe gauge strainer 61 is inserted in steam pipe 60 to avoidclogging the scoring tubesby any scale or otherforeign matter whichmight be carried through said pipe 60.

The operation of scoring a block of ice will now be explained. With handlever 8 in the position indicated by solid lines in Fig. 1 a block ofice is slid up incline 2 and into the machine small end first, and comesto rest on base 3 and against stop 12. Hand lever 50 is released fromlatch-51, steam is admitted through plug cock 59 into steam hose lines38 and thence into scoring tubes of gridirons 21. Weights 43 arereleased at the same time and by gravity pressure force inwardly thesaid gridirons 21 against the two oppositesides of said block of ice, ina few moments the hot tubes melt into the'ice until brought to a stop bysleeves 24 and 25.

Hand lever 50 is hooked under latch 51, the steam is cut off, thegridirons are withdrawn from the block, ejecting hand lever 8 is pulledforward into position as shown in ment, and to such depth that verylittle effort with an ice pick is needed to divide the'block into piecesof any desired Weight. It is to be understood that such focalization ofthe point of the gridiron shaped scoring portion in the Way of a pointedhollow cutting edge may be made as desired since the steam heattherewithin and the gravity are the only forces that compel the gridironto sink in the block of ice up to the point of a predetermined depth.

Having thus described a preferred embodiment of my invention what isclaimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent'is:

1. A machine for scoring blocks of ice, having a base and a supportingframe defining an ice block receiving passage thereabove, a hollowgridiron manifold member supported by said frame and adapted for steamheating and for scoring said blocks to a predetermined depth, powerstoring means for controlling saidgridiron member, and means to preventthe application of excessive force to said gridiron member during theoperation of the device.

2. A semi-automatic machine for scoring blocks of ice,'having a base anda supporting frame defining an ice block receiving passage thereabove, ahollow gridiron manifold member supported by said frame and mounted formovement toward and from said passage and adapted for steam heating,means for limiting the movement of said hollow gridiron manifold membertoward said pas-.

sage to limit the depth of scoring, and power storing means for movingsaid manifold member toward said passage to efiect scoring of a blocktherein.

3. A machine for scoring blocks of ice,

comprising a supporting base having inclines at both ends, sidesupporting frames vertically disposed, cross members for holding saidframes in proper spaced relation, guides on said frames for properlypositioning said block on said base between said frames, means forstopping said block on said base and means for releasing said stop andejecting said block fromsaid machine, and steam heated hollow gridironscoring frames adapted for oppositely and simultaneously being sunk byheat and the action of power storing means included in the machine apredetermined distance in said blocks of ice.

4. A machine for scoring blocks of ice, comprising a first set of sidesupporting frames, means for holding said supporting frames in properspaced relation, a supporting base for said block between saidsupporting frames, a guide anchored on said frames for centering saidblock in said machine,

means for stopping said block in position to be scored and means forejecting said block from the machine, a second set of frames positionedWithin and co-acting with said supporting frames, scoring gridironsconsisting of flattened metallic tubes supported by said second set offrames, means for admitting live steam into said gridiron, means forapplying pressure to said steam-filled grid- I irons asthey melt intosaid block of ice, and means for withdrawing said gridirons from saidblock.

5. A machine for scoring blocks of ice,

comprising a first set of side supporting frames, means for holding saidsupporting frames in proper spaced relation, a supporting base for saidblock between said supporting frames, guides anchored on said'frames forcentering said block in said machine, a

scoringtubes, means at the connections of said gridirons to said framesproviding for unequal expansion thereof with changes in temperature,andstop means on the said spacing means for regulating the depth of thescoring of said blocks.

6. A machine for scoring blocks of ice, comprising a first set of sidesupporting .rames, meansfor holding said supporting frames in properspaced relation, a support mg base for said block between saidsupporting frames, guides anchored on said frames for centering saidblock in said machine, a lever on said base for operating stop andejector means for said block, a shaft supported by'said first set offrames, a second lever attached to said shaft for releasing pressingweights and operating a steam plug cock simultaneously, a steam plugcock for controlling steam to hoseconnecting steam scoring gridirons, asecond set of frames positioned Within and coacting with said first setof frames, scoring gridirions supported by said second set of. frames, aplurality of weights having co-acting means for transmitting inwardpressure to said gridirons, fleXiblemeans for connecting said secondlever with said weights for preventing said gridirons from beingforcibly pressed into said blocks, and permitting gravity and heat onlyto control them.

7. In a machine for scoring blocks of ice having abase and asupportingframe extending thereabove and defining an ice block receiving space,steam heated scoring grids positioned to score the opposite faces of anice block in said space, power storing means for urging said gridstoward each other, means for retracting said grids against the influenceof said power storing means, and a valve for controlling the flow ofsteam to tact against one end of the block, and an H said gridsconnected to said last named means to be operatedthereby.

8. In a machine for scoring blocks of ice having a base and a supportingframe extending thereabove and defining an ice block receiving space,steam heated scoring grids positioned to score the opposite faces of anice-block in said space, power storing means for urging said gridstoward each other, means for retracting said grids against the influenceof said power storing means, but inoperable to force said grids in theopposite direction, and a valve for controlling the flow of steam tosaid grids connected to said last named means to be operated thereby.

9. In an ice scoring machine provided with a base and a, frame havingscoring meansmounted therein and defining a passage for an ice block, astop member normally positioned in said passage to stop a block of icein position to be scored, an ejector member normally positioned tovavoid interference with the block of ice as it enters said machine, anda means for retracting said stop member from the path of the ice blockand operating said ejector member to eject said block from the machine.

10. In a machine for scoring blocks of ice provided with a base and aframe having scoring'means mounted therein and defining a passage for anice block, a stop member normally positioned in said passage to stop ablock of ice in position to be scored by conejector comprising a liftingmember positioned in said base to lift the other end of the block whenoperated, and a common operating means for. retracting said stop memberand raising said ejector member.

:11. A semi-automatic ice scoring machine comprising a frame, opposedsteam heated scoring members carried by said frame and spaced aparttodefine an ice block receiving space, means tendingto advance saidscoring members toward each other, mechanism operable to retract saidscoring members against the action of said means, means for releasablyholding said mechanism in position to maintain said scoring membersretracted, a conduit for conducting heating fluid to said scoringmembers, and a valveinterposed in said conduit and interconnected withsaid mechanism to be actuated thereby to cut off the flow of heatingfluid when said scoring members are held retracted and to establish theflow of heating fluid when said scoring members are released by releaseofsaid mechanism. i v

12. In a machine for scoring blocks of ice having a base and asupporting frame extendingthereabove and defining an iceblock receivingspace, steamvheated scoring grids positioned'to score the opposite facesof an ice block n said space, means for moving said grids toward andawayfrom each other,

and a valve, controlling the flow of steam to said grids connected tosaid last named means to be operated thereby,

13. A semi-automatic ice scoring machine comprising a frame, opposedsteam heated scoring members carried by said frame and spaced apart todefine an ice block receiving space, means tending to advance saidscoring members toward each other, mechanism operable to retract saidscoring members against the action of said means but inoperable to forcesaid scoringmembers in the opposite direction, means for releasablyholding said mechan sm in position to maintain said scoring membersretracted, a conduitfor conducting heating fluid to said scoringmembers, and a valve interposed in'said conduit and interconnected withsaid mechanism to be actuated thereby to cut off the flow ofheating'fluid when said scoring members are held retracted and toestablish the flow of heating fluid when said scoring members arereleased by release of said mechanism, j

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name toethis specification.

EARL S. HENRY.

